communicating human

Northern APC Chieftains Move To Undermine Tinubu

Major cracks are appearing in the All
Progressives Congress (APC), as there seems
to be a ganging up against the former
governor of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu by notable northern politicians.
The opposition against Tinubu is spearheaded
by the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar,
the former speaker of the House of
Representatives and Sokoto state governor,
Aminu Tambuwal and the former governor of
Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The various power blocs in the APC have been
in a cold war over the party’s structures, and
the election of the president of the Senate and
the speaker of the House of Representatives
was the last straw.
The APC was formed as a coalition of the
Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the
Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All
Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and
thereafter, a faction of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP).
The CPC came into the merger riding on the
popularity of President Muhammadu Buhari
without any established structure but they had
a large grassroots support. The ACN joined
with established political structures, while the
PDP faction joined with an army of supporters
and strong political structures, all of which
consolidated the APC platform.
In the power equation of the party, the ACN
provided the national chairman, national
publicity secretary and national legal adviser of
the party. Going into government, the CPC has
the president, Buhari from the north west,
while the ACN has the vice president from the
south west.
In the elections in the legislature the leaders of
the party attempted to balance the power
equation of the party between the various
power blocs as well as accommodate all
competing interests in the party.
When the party supported the candidacy of
Ahmed Lawan of ANPP extraction from the
north east for the position of Senate president,
as well as Femi Gbajabiamila of the ACN
faction from the south west for the House
speaker. This was vehemently challenged by
the PDP faction in the party who were in
support of Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki
from the north central and Honourable Yakubu
Dogara from the north east.
The mock election conducted by the APC was
seen as the handiwork of Tinubu, who is
suspected of controlling the leadership of the
party.
The current crisis in the party can also be
traced to preparations for the 2019 general
elections. The power tussle is meant to
‘reform’ the APC which some of the northern
big wigs of the party still see as a Yoruba
dominated party.
In the elections in the legislature the leaders of
the party attempted to balance the power
equation of the party between the various
power blocs as well as accommodate all
competing interests in the party.
When the party supported the candidacy of
Ahmed Lawan of ANPP extraction from the
north east for the position of Senate president,
as well as Femi Gbajabiamila of the ACN
faction from the south west for the House
speaker. This was vehemently challenged by
the PDP faction in the party who were in
support of Senator Bukola Abubakar Saraki
from the north central and Honourable Yakubu
Dogara from the north east.
The mock election conducted by the APC was
seen as the handiwork of Tinubu, who is
suspected of controlling the leadership of the
party.
The current crisis in the party can also be
traced to preparations for the 2019 general
elections. The power tussle is meant to
‘reform’ the APC which some of the northern
big wigs of the party still see as a Yoruba
dominated party.
The feeling among the leaders is that Tinubu
strategically placed the vice president,
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to take over from
Buhari in 2019. Osinbajo was the attorney
general of Lagos state under Tinubu.
Atiku, Tambuwal and Kwankwaso are all said
to be eyeing the presidency in 2019, which is
why they are all undermining Tinubu’s
influence in the party.